Earth

any natural process that builds up Earth's surface

Any natural process that tears down or wears away Earth's surface.

the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

The soft layer of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move

Earth's outermost layer.

the layer of the earth between the crust and the core

The central part of the earth below the mantle

a region around a magnetic material or a moving electric charge within which the force of magnetism acts

The theory that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle

features that make up the earth's surface such as a plain, mountain, or valley

the shaking that results from the movement of rock beneath Earth's surface

a vent or fissure in the Earth's surface through which magma and gases are expelled

molten rock beneath the earth's surface

liquid magma that reaches the surface

earths crust located under the ocean

The portion of the earth's crust that primarily contains granite, is less dense than oceanic crust, and is 20-50 km thick

seismic waves that travel along the Earth's surface

waves that travel outward from an Earthquake's focus and cause particles in rocks to move back and forth in the same direction the wave is moving

waves that travel outward from an earthquake's focus and move through Earth by causing particles in rocks to vibrate at right angles to the direction of the wave

relating to or caused by an earthquake

An undersea mountain chain where new ocean floor is produced; a divergent plate boundary.

The process that creates new sea floor as plates move away from each other at the mid-ocean ridges

the edges of tectonic plates

the hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth's surface

going in different directions

coming together

a plate boundary where two plates move past each other in opposite directions

one plate going under another plate

The process by which atoms are arranged to form a material with a crystal structure

to break down or wear away

The breaking down of rocks and other materials on the Earth's surface.

the finest soil, made up of particles that are less than 0.002 mm in diameter.

A mixture of gravel, sand, silt, clay, and organic matter

material formed from decaying leaves and other organic matter

the coarsest soil, with particles 0.05,2.0 mm in diameter.

A mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks

a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition

A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together

a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface

A type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.

The outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of soil.

grasses, trees, shrubs, and any other plants that help to hold the soil in place

farming

plowing fields along the curves of a slope to prevent soil loss

farmers disturb the soil and its plant cover as little as possible

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

carrier (of disease, for example)

The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or other long-distance methods.

Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away (i.e. weathering, glaciation)

Looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation